Work gloves are often used to protect one's hands and fingers from injury. One of the problems with protective work gloves is that the thickness and toughness of the material, as well as the method of construction, required for sufficient protection generally results in a loss in sensitivity at the user's fingertips.
One method for increasing sensitivity is to use relatively thin, tight fitting molded vinyl, neoprene or latex rubber gloves, such as are sold for use while washing dishes. A problem with such tight fitting gloves is that they are usually quite thin so they do not provide sufficient protection against cuts, abrasions, punctures, burns and other similar injuries to the user's hand. Also, the lack of air circulation creates excessive perspiration buildup causing general hand discomfort as well as loss of sensitivity at the finger tips. These types of gloves are therefore unsuitable for use for extended time periods and in many environments.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,237 to Slimovitz discloses a glove having slits in the lining of the fingers of the glove. This allows the user to insert his or her fingers between the lining and the shell for increased sensitivity. Although this type of glove can increase the sensitivity at the user's fingertips without sacrificing the protective qualities of the remainder of the glove, there is still a marked reduction in sensitivity compared with tight fitting rubber gloves. The existence of seams in the finger tips also reduces the glove's sensitivity.